Percy Jackson and the rise of Erebus
by Seas and Shadows
Summary: Four years ago, Percy Jackson was banished to the deepest corners of Tartarus. Now, Erebus is rising, and the gods are desperate. But what does this have to do with the Fallen? This story is different to others like this. I guarantee it.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone! Seas and Shadows, here again! This took me a lot of tears and debating with myself to make, as I'm a Percabeth forever person. After two months, I've finally decided to do it. Let's begin! By the way, this is set a year after the Titan war.**

Percy didn't understand why he was there. Chained in imperial gold, forced into the centre of the Olympian throne room. The gods knew that his fatal flaw was loyalty, but he was accused of trying to bring Erebus out and destroy the world. But why?

His eyes fell to Athena and Ares, who were grinning to each other happily. Oh.

Even an idiot like him could understand what had happened.

He had been framed for an impossible crime.

Zeus stood up, his Master Bolt flickering with electricity. "Now, we must put this to a vote. First the Olympian Gods, then the Demigods that were involved in all of this. All in favour of Perseus Jackson banished?"

Several gods raised their hands. Percy recognized them as Athena, Dionysus, Ares, Aphrodite, Zeus, Hera and Demeter. The gods Hermes, Poseidon, Apollo, Artemis and Hephaestus stayed on Percy's side.

Zeus glared at the gods who opposed him, but rumbled "Demigods?"

Percy glanced nervously at the others. The rest of the seven were there, along with Reyna. He hoped that they would support him, but he knew that not all would help.

Jason and Reyna, the loyal romans that always chose the gods' side, immediately rose their hands. Neither looked at Percy. Piper, the one of the seven that knew Percy the least, hesitantly followed them, choosing her boyfriend's side. Frank, Hazel and Leo didn't budge, opting for glaring at the opposition instead.

Percy turned to Annabeth, eyes watering and pleading. The girl looked worried, and Percy knew why. If she chose Percy, he would be saved by a tie, but some of the gods would hate her. Without her, Annabeth was dooming Percy to a lifetime in Tartarus.

Annabeth raised her hand. Percy's world crumbled.

Zeus gave a small smile, and turned to Percy. "Any last words, boy?"

Percy, stared at the ground, teardrops falling. He shook his head, but his hand managed to stray to his pocket, despite the golden bonds. He drew out two things- A pen and a small navy blue box.

Percy tearfully looked at his dad. "Father, if I die, your gift will be useless to the world. Give this to your next child, as a wish from me. Tell the kid Riptide's history. May they use it well." He rasped.

He dropped Anuklumos. A tear trickled down Percy's cheek. Poseidon nodded wordlessly, and shrank down to human size. Walking over to his favourite child, he did something that surprised everyone.

Poseidon knelt to the supposed traitor.

"I-I'm sorry. I love you, Percy." The god whispered. He slowly took the pen, and held it reverently.

Percy just smiled, and turned to Zeus, the message in his eyes clear. The King sent his Bolt down towards Percy, enveloping him and the surrounding area in a white explosion.

All that was left to show that the son of Poseidon was ever there was the little blue box, which Annabeth picked up. No tears were in _her _eyes, but that changed very quickly. Opening the little velvet case, there was a single ring. A beautiful pearl shined in the centre, with fourteen smaller rubies surrounding it. The ring itself was made of a mixture of two substances- Imperial Gold and Adamantine silver.

On the inside, an engraving in bronze shined clearly for anyone to notice. In a magnificent script of cursive, a single sentence was written- _Forever and always._

Dropping the ring, Annabeth ran out of the throne room, choking back a sob. The rest of the inhabitants stared at the glimmering piece of metal, a masterpiece worthy of Hephaestus. Said god was trying to work out how to make something remotely like it.

Zeus stiffly sat down on his throne. He and most of the others should have been celebrating, but it felt like they had made a mistake. No-one said a word. Leo shook his head angrily at Jason, while Hazel glared at Piper. Frank just hung his head, somehow making the other praetor feel guilty by the simple action.

Suddenly, a single voice rang out of the room, echoed by two others.

_Fools. The boy was destined to have a good life. Now the wisest has fallen to stupidity. You are doomed._

Everyone tensed, trying to work out where the voice was coming from. Poseidon's eyes fell to the door, where he had last seen Annabeth. _The wisest…_

_The string is cut. Your fates are set._

The room seemed to be even gloomier than before.

Everyone recounted the same words. _You are doomed._

* * *

Percy's first thought- _Man, this is familiar._

And then-_ I wonder if Tartarus made a decent snack bar somewhere around here?_

Percy shook that thought away. While he had been falling, he had decided that he wouldn't be tortured to death. No, if he was going to die, it would be the most horrifying and yet coolest way to do it.

He planned to fall into Chaos.

Percy landed with a massive _thud _against the reddish-black rock and skin_. _He groaned. Definitely a couple ribs gone, maybe his left shoulder. Damn.

Wheezing in pain, Percy got up, checking his surroundings. Black mist filled the air, and a few poisonous-looking flowers were blooming. He remembered this place. It was near the spot Percy had fought Akhlys, and he and Annabeth-

_Stop. _He told himself. _Annabeth betrayed you. Don't think about it. _

Stumbling occasionally, he followed the flowers, until he had reached a whole meadow of the ugly things. Percy closed his eyes, as he slowly recovered from his long, painful walk. Apparently his leg had snapped as well. Just perfect. He turned in circles, trying to find the route that seemed to hold the most death and misery. Eventually, he came across what he was looking for. About ten yards away, there was a giant cliff that extended as far as Percy could see. Beyond that was just black- The Mansion of Night, he guessed, but in between the two, he remembered what Nyx had said. Percy couldn't remember the exact words, but he recalled how she had mentioned that the realm of Chaos lay under Night and Tartarus.

He gave a sickly-feeling smile, and staggered towards the pit. He could feel blood dripping from his shoulder. No monsters had come after him, Percy realized. Everyone was scared of Chaos.

Just as he was about to walk off the edge, a firm hand grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him backwards. "Woah, there! What do you think you're doing?" Percy wasn't scared of the voice, however. All he wanted to do was curl up and fall, forever and ever. "Dying." He replied simply. Percy tried to walk over again, but the mystery person held him back. _Man, _that guy was strong. "No, you don't. How 'bout you join us?"

Percy wanted to frown, but he was too tired. _Fall down. _Voices seemed to whisper. _Join us. _"Join who?"

"The Fallen. A group for only the best of heroes." The man sighed. "How the mighty have fallen… Ever heard of that saying? It actually means that the best of heroes always join us. Only they have nothing left to lose."

Percy still wanted to fall off the cliff, but this intrigued him, breaking through the murkiness the call of Chaos was giving him. "Really?"

"Yes. I have seen your accomplishments, and I am old. All old things fade away eventually. I want you to become the leader of the Fallen, right after I die. Do you accept?"

Now the call of Chaos had disappeared. Percy could think normally. Of course, the decision took about two seconds. Join this mystery man, and have a new life? Or die? Percy had nothing left to lose.

"I accept."

* * *

_4 years later_

Opal weighed his options as he paced the border of the Fallen's massive camp. He had to make the right decision here. Otherwise… The world was doomed. Join the gods, or Erebus… The Olympians, who had angered all of the Fallen, or Erebus, the evil side? Evil… That changed the decision completely. The Fallen were about good. Olympus=Average. Erebus=Evil. Decision made.

"Diamond?" He called to his fourth-in command. The man looked up earnestly, ready for a job. "Find Sapphire and Topaz, would you? We have a new mission." Diamond nodded, and dashed into the forest, looking for the two lovebirds. Opal chuckled quietly. The two teens were completely oblivious about their little 'romance', but everyone else could see it. It was the current joke, but none of the Fallen ever teased about it to Topaz. The man had recently destroyed a squad of dracaena in seconds. With his bare hands. Topaz was cold, silent and mysterious, but Sapphire was bright, cheerful and full of life. Somehow, she brought back the happiness that had always been devoid from Topaz's past. Opal looked around at his team, the one that he had built. Ruby was joking around again with Onyx, trying to get him to laugh, while Lapis was crushing Sunstone in another Bear-hug, while Sunstone's girlfriend, Amethyst, laughed at them. Garnite, Jadeite and Jasper were in an Archery contest. Nuumite was pummelling at a tree while Apatite timed him. Adventurine was silenly sharpening his weapons, and Beryl was beating up Axinite on one of the Fallen's video games. Opal wasn't up to times, but he could tell without looking that they were playing Super Smash Bothers. The two loved the crazy game. Iolite was kissing her boyfriend, Garnet, like every other day. Pearl teased his brother Peridot by kissing Emerald, and Peridot tried to get back by flirting with Moonstone. Sadly, Opal could tell that they would both soon regret it. It probably had something to do with how Moonstone was fingering her bow. Bloodstone was duelling with Coral, Serpentine silently analysing how they attacked. The leader groaned. The three loved trying to beat each other, but they never did. He groaned again when he saw that Quartz and Agate were stuck in trees, as usual. But as he saw a faint glimpse of Diamond with two others, Opal fidgeted nervously. He wasn't sure how everyone would react to what he was about to saw. As Ruby started to tease Sapphire, the commander noticed the way Topaz was clenching his fists. Well, better stop a fight.

"Attention!" The Fallen quickly stopped their usual ideas of fun and got into order. Agate fell out of her tree, making Topaz roll his eyes.

Opal took a deep breath. Now or never, he told himself. "I assume you all know about Erebus rising?" The Fallen nodded. "Good. Apparently, he wants revenge for the destruction of his sister. He's escaped the Underworld, and Hades is going wild. He can't help like the Titan war." The Fallen nodded again. "Well, Erebus has decided one of the first things he will destroy is Camp Half-Blood. If we're against Erebus, then the camp must be defended. Clear?"

His response involved Ruby fainting. Moonstone kicked him. "Out cold." She told everyone innocently. Topaz, however had a completely different reaction. "Camp? You mean that stupid place that betrayed us- I mean, they're _scared _of us. This is stupid…" he muttered, and walked back into the forest. Sapphire, for once, looked worried, and started after Topaz. Diamond looked like he was ready to kill. "They hate me! They all despise me, except for a couple of- argh, DAMNITT!" He protested. The others weren't too different.

Opal was surprised by their reaction. He was expecting people to quit the Fallen there and then, so this was better than what he had dreaded. He too hated the camp for what they had done. Even still, that was only a fraction of how much the Fallen hated that place. They used their anger in training so it drain out of them. It had also made them unnaturally strong. But no matter how powerful the Fallen were, Opal remembered that there was one other person that could help. Whispers of Typhon- The most powerful threat to the gods- Had escaped his prison thanks to the help of Erebus, but Zeus had ordered that there be no talk about it. The Fallen might be able to stop either Erebus or Typhon, but they weren't as strong as to stop both. Zeus, not realizing the threats, had ordered that the gods would stay on Olympus. The camps didn't even know about the two threats. The only being that could stop Typhon was the only possibility. No mortal or god could fight Typhon in single combat. That left the primordials, and most were either evil, slumbering or had faded long ago. Only one good Primordial that had enough power to take on Typhon, and he was barely known, seeing as he was only mentioned at the birth of Gaea.

"Hydros." Opal muttered. He stalked into the forest to find Topaz. Opal was about to leave for a very long journey, and besides, Opal wanted to be at that camp for as little as possible. Being a leader had its perks, after all.

* * *

Malcolm glared at Annabeth as she notched another arrow at the target. It missed completely, as none of the Apollo campers had wanted to help her for the last few years. All little mistakes she had when she used a bow slowly grew, until she was worse than Percy.

"4 years, and I still can't believe that you did it. I'm amazed Chiron hasn't thrown you out of camp. And the guy was about to propose! It's just… JEEZ!" Malcom yelped, barely dodging an arrow from Annabeth. Somehow, the sharpened weapon had flown _sideways. _How it was even possible, Malcolm didn't want to know. It was almost as if half of the Olympians had cursed her, which was actually very likely.

Annabeth glared at Malcolm. "You distracted me!" She yelled, waving her bow. "I would've hit the target without you!" Malcolm shook his head sadly. His sister used to be amazing, but then she had collapsed from her spot as top dog. How, you may ask. By virtually executing Percy Jackson. Malcolm started to walk away before Annabeth brought out her drakon-sword again.

Lost in thought, Malcolm's mind began to wander. Percy Jackson, the greatest hero of all time, now residing in the pits of Tartarus. Nobody knew whether he was alive or dead, as Nico, their dead-people-dude, disappeared two years ago after trying to some idea of where Percy was. His last words involved how he could feel that Percy wasn't in Tartarus, but that was impossible. No-one could escape Tartarus by themselves. Even Percy and Annabeth had to leave someone behind as they went through the Doors, and now those very Doors weren't in Tartarus anymore. The search for Percy Jackson had rapidly turned into a curse instead. Others, such as Will Solace and Leo Valdez, had followed Nico, but had most likely died, as Leo's tool belt and Will's bow had been found abandoned and damaged. Will almost never strayed from his bow, and Leo went to the extents of _sleeping _with his tool belt. The only possibility was that something had killed them, _something _that might have even killed the great Percy Jackson himself. The gods had strangely cut off all communications with demigods after the execution of Percy Jackson, and none of them had been spotted at any time in years.

"Malcolm? Could you help me please? I'm having trouble finding Wip-Ri…Riptide." Malcolm stopped in the middle of his mind-rant, and turned to Lily, the seven-year-old daughter of Poseidon. She had apparently been born a month after Percy got the gods to break their oath, and she was a complete wonder. She had arrived at Camp a week after Percy disappeared, and had been a complete cutie ever since. The next day she had come, she had been holding a pen that everyone recognized as Riptide. She was loved by almost everyone in camp, and why not? She had clear azure eyes that screamed of innocence, and when combined with midnight-black hair that reached her waist, as well as the fact that she was still learning to talk, well… How else to describe it?

Malcolm gave a feeble smile. If Lily was his age, he would have already asked her on a date about a million times. Awkward, yes, but hey, his thoughts were the same as most of the boys'. "Well, Lily, Riptide's probably in your pocket right now. Chiron and your big brother Percy once showed us how it always comes back."

Lily, looked doubtful, a difficult look to master for a seven year old, but reached into her jean pocket anyway. Sure enough, her face brightened. "I found it! Thanks Malcolm!" Lily jumped away, waving her pen and yelling with happiness.

Malcolm's smile would have stayed there for the rest of the day, if he didn't turn into Clarisse. "Runt." She growled. Malcom glared at the bully. "Seriously? Is that the only thing you ever say? C'mon, you wouldn't find me for nothin'. What is it?"

Clarisse cracked he knuckles. "Bad enough I'm being used to pay messenger, but Air-Head just arrived. Apparently, she wants to talk to you. Alone."

Malcom smiled again. He had been doing that a lot lately. "Thanks, Risse!"

Clarisse just glared. "Don't you have an appointment right now, Bird Boy?"

Malcom just sighed, and headed toward the Big House. Thalia was _always _at the Big House whenever she arrived.

"..._found _the location of the Fallen?" Malcolm asked Thalia faintly. The girl nodded grimly. "I know, its suicide, but you can't disobey milady. And you never know, we might take those monsters by surprise. Artemis wants us to strike immediately, as we'll arrive by nightfall, but I managed to convince her to let me tell you guys. Actually, I have to leave… Zeus' beard, right now! See ya, Malcom!" Thalia rushed out of the Big House, knocking over a few Hermes campers. Malcom couldn't help but think that the Fallen were somehow connected to Percy, but that was impossible.

Because Percy Jackson, as far as anyone knew, resided in Tartarus, battling for his life every day.

* * *

Phoebe shook her head angrily. "'Tis bad enough we took the satyr on the quest for Artemis, let alone he joins us in _battle! _Pathetic! The stupid goat's only display of violence was when he started a food fight with those Sparta!" She snorted to Thalia. Thalia glared back. "Listen, if you had seen Grover in the Titan war, which I'm amazed that you haven't, you would have realized that he has improved over the years. He is now _extremely _good at fighting." Phoebe just sneered to Thalia, and went to her tent to sharpen her arrows for the umpteenth time. Thalia walked over to Artemis, who was testing her bowstring. "How long?" Artemis didn't have to guess to work out what Thalia meant. The Hunters had been preparing their weapons for the duel against the Fallen for the last hour. Grover had arrived recently, offering his assistance, and even though Artemis would never admit it, she was glad about that. If the stories were true, the new god of the wild could bring hundreds of nymphs and naiads to arms. The Hunters would need all the help they could get. "Five more minutes. The sharpshooters are finishing up their positions, if the scouts were correct. We will be departing very shortly."

Thalia gave a curt nod, bringing out Aegis. "I need to check on Grover. He's always jittery before a battle." Artemis frowned- That could be a problem. "Good. Now, leave child. I fear that this fight will be close. We must bring the Fallen to Olympus." Thalia shivered at the goddess' tone, but obeyed her commands. As she ran, Thalia tried to figure out why the Olympians hated the Fallen so much. That took about ten seconds, as the reasons were all too clear.

- Powerful source that leads the Fallen, one that could threaten Olympus.

- Never seen, never found, never beaten.

- Any enemy of the Fallen had either been silently assassinated, or massacred to a bloody pulp.

- Very dangerous.

Thalia was too lost in her mental list to realize that she had reached Grover, who was waving his arms frantically. The satyr looked as though he had seen a ghost, and then ran a mile. "Th-Thals, bad news. Very, very bad. None of the nymphs are coming out of their trees. They're all way too scared, apparently. We have to-" The lord of the wild was cut off by the Hunters' horn- A deep sound that sent a single clear message- Charge!

Thalia turned, eyes wide. "No!" She shouted. But it was too late, as Artemis and the rest of the Hunters scampered into the forest. The two friends had no choice but follow.

It was time for war.

* * *

When Artemis arrived at the fight between the Hunters and the Fallen, it was already a one-sided battle. She had been traveling at the back of the pack, making sure there were no weak spots in the Hunters' formation. She had stopped for a moment to disable a small trap that could be a later problem, and had fallen behind as the Hunters attacked. When she flashed to the battle, she discovered that the Hunters were already losing. She saw one man, dressed in pitch-black, except for a mask he wore over his face, made of shining rubies- knock over three of her Hunters in a single sweep. One hunter clutched her shoulder, blood seeping through her fingers. Artemis realized that the mystery man was wearing knuckledusters, causing her to lunge at the masked man's back in fury. No-one should hurt a maiden in such a way. She kicked his back, knocking the man over, giving an indignant 'Lady!' as he fell. Drawing her knives, Artemis was about to stab the male in between the shoulder-blades, but her right knife was abruptly disarmed. She came face-to-face with another man with a violet-coloured mask, wielding a shining silver sword. He was strangely calm, yet angry as he gave an overhand sweep at the maiden. Artemis managed to sidestep away, and immediately lost sight of both men in the scattered clash. The goddess turned, and recognized Phoebe at the hands of another woman wearing a dark blue mask. She held a long dagger, barely shorter than a _gladius_, and the girl seemed to know how to use it. Artemis, however, threw her remaining dagger like a throwing knife, barely missing the woman's fingers. The long dagger was knocked out of the sapphire-masked girl's hands, and Artemis' dagger rebounded, the hilt striking the girl in the neck. The blue-masked girl fell to the ground in pain, clutching her throat in agony. Artemis wasn't surprised. When she was angry, the goddess could puncture titanium with a throwing knife. Her daggers, which were far heavier, would have torn through the woman's windpipe had it not been in a rebound. Phoebe turned to her rescuer, looking thankful, but the expression quickly turned to horrified. "Look out!" Artemis hardly managed to hear the maiden in the midst of clashing and shouting, but obliged anyway, barely ducking under a massive broadsword that had been aimed at her neck. The moon goddess suddenly found herself looking up at a hulking figure, one that looked very, _very, _angry. A beautiful golden crystal had been shaped into the man's mask, but its beauty did nothing to hide the man's rage. Despite all the noise, Artemis could somehow hear the man's deathly quiet voice. "No one, and I mean NO ONE, attacks Sapphire. NO ONE!" He roared, and swung his sword once again. Artemis tried to change into an animal- A bald eagle,- she decided, but the man was far faster than any other opponent she had ever faced. The sword cut into Artemis' left side in pain. Artemis opened her beak to yell, but the eagle was only able to shriek loudly. Pathetic. The man was strong, possibly as strong as Atlas, Artemis realized. The man swung down again, and Artemis was helpless to stop the blade, as she lay badly wounded in a form that wasn't strong enough to withstand such a hit. The goddess of maidens, closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable-

But nothing happened.

Artemis looked up to see a familiar long dagger, amazingly blocking the Topaz-masked man's swipe. The eagle turned her head to see the Sapphire-masked girl, who had somehow recovered from Artemis' dagger. The signal was clear- _You owe me._

Artemis managed to change back to her human form, and flashed to a nearby tree. She may be wounded, yes, and Artemis' life may have just been saved by an enemy, yes, but Artemis would only spare that girl's life, and only after badly wounding her. Artemis and the Hunters would not be beaten by _males. _She would only retreat when it got desperate. Drawing her bow, she aimed at a girl with an Emerald mask, battling the satyr Grover in a battle of plants. Every time Grover lew on his reed pipes, and sent some kind of thick vine, the emerald girl would somehow get the vine to respond to her will. It was impossible, as Grover had been honing his skills for years. The satyr could make a bush tap-dance, or even turn a blade of grass into an Oak tree, for goodness sake, but the girl was somehow better. Artemis let fly, and the arrow whizzed toward the girl's neck. A perfect shot, as usual. Suddenly, the arrow was somehow deflected by another in mid-air. Artemis turned to see another girl, this time with a mask Artemis recognized as Moonstone, one of her favourite jewels. Said girl had another male near her, running toward Artemis' tree. The boy had a mask of diamond, a gemstone anyone could recognize. Artemis would have wondered how on earth the Fallen had managed to shape the mask, but she simply fired an arrow at the male instead. She smiled. The was virtually a point-blank shot. There was no way the male could deflect it, even if he carried a sword and shield. But somehow, the shield appeared in front of the arrow, and the boy kept moving toward Artemis. A glimmer caught the goddess' eye, and she realized her side was completely stained with ichor. Her hit had been worse then she assumed. An arrow whizzed into Artemis' right shoulder, and realized that she had forgotten about the archer with the Moonstone mask. Then she realized that her hunters were probably having it even worse.

Looking around, Artemis saw five of her Hunters being beat back by a single man who had a green mask that was spotted with red.

Another Hunter was bleeding so badly that Artemis couldn't even tell who she was.

The Emerald girl had finally managed to entrap the lord of the wild in her vines, and Grover could only struggle in vain as the maiden walked closer…

Thalia was probably in the worst condition. Her left leg was visibly broken, and several long scars decorated her arms and torso. Thalia's black hair was stained with blood. Bruises covered every inch of her skin, and her right arm hung limply. She was fighting in vain with her collapsible spear against the Topaz-masked man, who seemed to be almost amused by her feeble efforts. Artemis caught a brief glimpse of her lieutenant's face, and the goddess nearly fainted. She had matching Black eyes, and a clearly broken nose. Blood trickled down the corners of her mouth. A bruise the size of an orange was imprinted on her jawline, and more blood was dripping from her forehead, dripping on top of one eye. Her eyelids were sliced up into ribbons, and the daughter of Zeus's throat had a very long scar, reaching from her collarbone to the bottom of her lip. Her only visible blue eye shone in defiance, however, as she continued to fight the man.

Artemis had had enough. The diamond masked man had nearly reached her, and it was clear that the Hunters were losing. Not one of the Fallen had been visibly injured, for the exception of the Sapphire-masked one, who had a bruise on her neck.

"Retreat!" The leader of the Hunters called hoarsely. The remains of the Hunters seemed almost grateful for the command as they slowly backed away from the Fallen. Strangely enough, when the Fallen had heard the command, they had immediately froze, and lowered their weapons. Phoebe tried to strike a boy with a bright green jewelled mask, but was stopped by another male that had a pitch-black mask that Artemis recognized as Onyx. 'Onyx' held a silver dagger to Phoebe's throat, and the maiden froze. The man said something that Artemis couldn't hear, but it seemed to have frightened Phoebe, as she immediately scampered away, moving quickly despite her injuries. Artemis made sure that the diamond-masked boy had stopped, before flashing down to Thalia to take her to Olympus. The lieutenant had fainted right before Artemis had called the order to retreat, and it was clear that she needed Apollo immediately. Otherwise, she would die. Artemis picked up the daughter of Zeus, and turned around to leave. However, she was stopped by one of the Fallen. He wore a mask made of opal, and judging by the amount of blood dripped on his clothes, yet there were no tears, Artemis assumed that this man was very dangerous. Even the Topaz-masked one hadn't had so much blood on his hands. "Are you finished?" He asked coldly. 'Opal's voice sounded familiar, cruel and mysterious at the same time. Who was this man?

"I am current the leader of the Fallen, Opal, and I must say, if you Hunters are Olympus' best mortal fighters, you will not stand a chance against Erebus. However, during my little, ah, spat, with your lieutenant, you will discover that Olympus may have some hope."

"Thalia?" Artemis wheezed. "What did you do to my Hunter?"

'Opal' gave a cold smile that sent shivers down Artemis' spine. "The same that she tried to do to me. Fortunately, the Fallen do not wish to kill your so-called 'Hunters'. You will notice that no lives have been lost, while the bodies you see are merely unconscious. Lapis, one of my troops, will be bringing them to Olympus shortly, so do not fret. No lives have been lost. Of course, that wasn't your aim, was it?" Opal drawled. "We know that you were trying to destroy each and every last one of us. You are not the only one who can think of using scouts and spies, Artemis. Count yourselves lucky when you hear my little proposition. If you refuse, then the Fallen shall be joining Erebus. And if we were holding back in this-" Opal gestured to the wreckage and blood surrounding the Fallen's campsite "-Then you can only imagine, what will happen if we are aiming to kill, eh? Well then, godling, go. Warn your little friends. Heed my words carefully, Hunter, you do not want the Fallen on your bad side. Am I clear?"

Artemis was too weak to answer. The arrow was buried almost the full way into her shoulder, the tip barely protruding from the other end. Ichor was beginning to drip out of her mouth, as well as her other wounds. She realized that she had a slash on her left leg, moving in the same direction as the one on her side. 'Topaz' had a very long reach.

Opal continued, ignoring Artemis' state. "Well then, I realize that even you are in a bad condition. You are too weak to flash back to Olympus, so, like the remains of your Hunters, you will be directly transported to Olympus. When Thalia awakes, you will discover something that could very well save Olympus. I will be seeing to two of you soon, hopefully while you're still alive. Farewell, goddess of the Hunt."

Opal waved his hand, and Artemis blinked. When she opened her eyes again, she was in Olympus' infirmary, lying on one of the beds. Thalia and the rest of the Hunt were lying on other beds, but all f them were near Artemis. Some were awake and active. Others lied still.

The last thing Artemis saw before she blacked out was her twin brother, shaking the goddess' shoulder asking what happened.

Then Artemis gave in to darkness.

**Well, on that cheery note, it looks like we'll have to end this chapter.**

**Who is Opal?**

**Where is Percy?**

**What happened to the mystery man at the start of the story?**

**Why did Annabeth betray Percy?**

**Will we ever know?**

**Maybe. All I can say is, Stay Tuned for more!**

**-Seas and Shadows.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Well, I'm back again! And it's time to add some more mystery!**

**What is Opal's mysterious proposition he told Thalia?**

**How does Opal know about the existence of Hydros?**

**What is the deadly 'Curse of Percy Jackson', and how is it killing the searchers?**

**Why did Athena and Ares frame Percy?**

**How did the two gods we all hate most do it?**

**Well, some might be answered very soon. Read, my minions! READ!**

**Disclaimer- I don't own PJO. Otherwise I wouldn't have brutally and selfishly slaughtered Bob and Damasen. **

**_Recently…_**

_The last thing Artemis saw before she blacked out was her twin brother, shaking the goddess' shoulder asking what happened._

_Then Artemis gave in to darkness_.

* * *

Apollo wasn't very sure how the Hunt had randomly appeared in his infirmary, along with a mini-giant with some kind of creepy blue mask.

The last thing he had been doing was checking his IPod for any of the latest gossip with Hermes, and seeing if he could make the weather perfect for One Direction's next concert with Aeolus.

Then several dozen chicks in silvery clothes were lying down on every single bed he owned, most of them unconscious or coated in blood. A giant that was nearly as big as Otus, Apollo's bane, all decked out in fancy black clothes that wouldn't be out of place in some movie, and a totally sweet blueish-diamondy mask that covered his face, stood on the opposite end of the infirmary, arms crossed.

Then the bloke just disappeared, leaving Apollo to take care of the Hunt.

"Great." The god of the sun mumbled, putting a hand over a huntress, beginning to use his powers. "Just eat and run these days. The least the guy could 'a done was stay to clean up this mess."

Then his little sister flashed in, along with the gothic Thalia, Apollo's latest crush. But neither looked very hot at the moment, as Artemis had an arrow in her shoulder and gashes in her clothes, while Thalia was nearly unrecognizable in a mess of blood and bruises.

Apollo would be lying if he said that he was calm. The truth? He was ready to freak out, accidentally make the sun explode, and ask Zeus for a decent dose of suicide all the same time.

Somehow staying calm, he grabbed Artemis' shoulder as Thalia slumped over unconscious. "Sis! What happened, at who do I beat up first?" But Artemis was already gone. Leaping over to another Hunter Apollo recognized as Phoebe, the god asked the same thing. "… Fallen… battle…" Was the girl's response, and then her eyes rolled backward.

Apollo swore heavily, and speed-texted (If there is such a thing) every god that knew about medicine the Ferrari driving god could think of.

**_HELP! Hunters half-dead, yes, FULL hunt including Artemis, need desperate medical assistance NOW! _**

**_-Apollo the awesome_**

A few minutes later, Asclepius was staring at Thalia carefully. "Panacea, if you would. The Panadol should have begun its work now."

Apollo tended Artemis with Hygieia, the goddess of cleanliness, as Panacea, the goddess of healing, began tending to Thalia's wounds. Apollo had just taken out the arrow, but he had been cursed to listen to Hygieia complain abut arrows.

"…I honestly don't know why these filthy things are used. They are so… just… _Dirty!" _She whined. "The window-washing liquid mortals for cars, that's much better! It's efficient, clean, and can effectively blind a mortal for the rest of their pathetic life if they drink it! Arrows, however-"

"SHUT UP!" Apollo roared. He wouldn't do that normally, but that stupid goddess sure knew how to whine. "Artemis could fade if you keep blabbering on about how deadly detergent can be! Jut help me already!"

Hygieia decided that it would be the smartest option to stay quiet, but Hebe, who was trying to keep another Hunter's immortality flow steady, nearly screamed. "This one's getting fainter by the minute! Whatever the Hunters were against, it was specifically aiming for them to live. Even the tiniest tap could kill her at any time, if she stays like this. Apollo, count you and Artemis lucky that granting immortality isn't physical. I've had to regrant her post-immortality at least a dozen times!"

Apollo winced. Whatever did that had to have been strong. Could that mini giant- No. Artemis was stronger than that.

Psyche frowned as she observed Phoebe. "Her soul's been damaged. She was scared by something very, very bad. We've got some questions to ask Artemis later on."

Hermes nodded. "This is just… Horrible. What could take down the Hunt like this? And according to these machines, whoever did this was holding back."

Tyche twitched as she stared at the medical signals. "He's right. Almost every single one of these Hunters had been pushed to their limits of survival. A speck more for anyone, and the scales would have tipped. This mystery man, the one with the funny mask you told us about, Apollo… He could have enough power to do all this, and he left them alive, which is almost worse. I mean, just look at Thalia."

The healers all nodded grimly. This was worse than horrible, this was just… cruel. The Hunters were some of the best. For them to all be in this condition…

One of Hermes' snakes suddenly faced Apollo. _Haley! Or whatever her name is…_

The other snake somehow groaned. _George means the girl Thalia._

The snake christened as 'George' -_Highly unoriginal._ Apollo mused. _I know about three dozen people who have named their snakes George. - _Hissed angrily. _You're not getting the credit this time, Martha! Anyway, the girl named after that funny Muse person who gives me juicy, delicious rats-_

_She's waking up!_ 'Martha' Yelled/Hissed.

The doctors turned in shock at the panels. The dream spikes, true to the snakes' words, were beginning to spike.

To Apollo's joy, he noticed that the same was happening to Artemis. "YES!" He shouted, drawing several telling-offs from Hygieia. "As promised, all of you get to use my car, and I'm throwing in an extra hundred drachma to all of you! Good work everyone!"

The gods cheered, but it all went silent when a single voice was heard.

"… Urgh… Where… What?"

Thalia Grace's slashed and stitched eyelids opened, and bright blue eyes stared at everyone in turn.

Apollo sat down on the foot of her bed, crossing his legs casually. He looked like any other teenager in the world, sitting down after surviving another day of hell/school.

"So…" He began, choosing his words carefully. The last thing Apollo wanted was to hurt Thalia. She was still very weak.

"What the hell happened back there?! You nearly died!"

* * *

"Proposition?" Zeus thundered. "Daughter, explain."

Artemis, Thalia, and a few of the other Hunters were telling the rest of the Olympians what had happened with their battle against the Fallen. Artemis had just finished telling Zeus how Opal had taunted her with an 'offer', and Thalia had just recovered enough to explain.

"The man… he told me how we didn't stand a chance against Erebus if we were that bad against the Fallen."

Zeus glared at nothing, imagining what he would do to this so-called leader.

"Then… He offered his assistance in this new war."

Silence echoed across the Throne Room. This band of rebels that most likely worked against Olympus, offering their aids in the upcoming war? That was about as likely as Hygieia killing the Hydra with a toothpick.

"Unfortunately, this 'Opal' told me that he himself would not be able to help. He said that he would be searching for another possible ally, one capable of stopping… Typhon."

Zeus twitched as the eyes of the rest of the Olympians turned to him. Zeus was actually the only one who knew about the escape of the monster out of everyone else. Pride getting in his way yet again, Zeus had decided that Typhon wasn't a threat. After all, the Olympians had won the last two times. But Typhon was getting closer. He had been imprisoned in a new area near Alaska recently, thanks to one of Zeus' not-so-bright ideas. Everyone thought that Typhon would no longer be a threat. Now, the behemoth was halfway across Saskatchewan. Typhon was closing in on the gods… fast.

Zeus' throat became dry. "Er… Typhon is not a threat. This 'Opal' is spouting ridiculous lies. Even if Typhon somehow escaped, the Olympians will simply crush him again."

Athena ground her teeth in frustration. "Father, Typhon is the biggest threat to the gods.

"And there's been news all over Canada how there's a massive freak storm moving across to America. Like, Typhon-sized big" Hermes added helpfully.

Zeus stared at the hearth of the Throne Room, where Hestia would normally be. Unfortunately, the meetings were only for the Olympians. "Typhon is not a threat to-"

The god of the sea looked up from his shoes. "I think we should let them help." Zeus turned to Poseidon angrily. "Are you insane, brother? These people nearly obliterated Artemis-"

"Which is exactly why they'll so useful on our side. The people know news that is unknown to most of us, are stronger than our best, kept themselves hidden better than our Mist, only appearing to strike fear into our hearts. Imagine how much of a chance we will have against Erebus with such power on our side."

Zeus paused for a moment. Poseidon had a good point. But then the god's pride returned.

"We do not need help against-"

"We definitely do. We are losing. The camps don't even know about the threat yet."

"Asking help from a group of puny mortals-"

"If I may, lord." Artemis interrupted. "These 'puny mortals' have somehow been able to utterly massacre the Hunt, while holding back. Even if they are mortals, they will be easily strong enough to take down Erebus."

Zeus growled. "Alright then, let's put this to a vote. All in favour of letting the Fallen assist us in the upcoming war against Erebus?"

The vote was ten against two- All the gods except Zeus and Hera. Thalia and the other two Hunters shrunk back. They always thought that the gods were powerful and organised. Now they looked like toddlers with diplomacy and power that could rival the Hulk. Powerful, yes. Organised, yes. Actual brains in their heads, no.

Zeus frowned. "Well," He spat. "It seems the council has decided that these bandits will be aiding us in a war that we could probably win ourselves. Hermes, send word to the Fallen that we have agreed to their terms, and that they should arrive at Camp Half-Blood on the morrow. Meeting dismissed!"

As the gods rapidly flashed away to do their duties, (Aphrodite had been tugging on Ares' pants rather suggestively) A single figure with a pitch-black mask stretched from behind Demeter's throne. "Well then." He started. "Better tell Topaz and Diamond about this. Seeing as Hermes can't find our campsite…"

Onyx, following the Olympians' example, disappeared from the room.

* * *

Annabeth glared at the straw dummy she was practicing on. She had been slashing at it for ages, trying to remember the little Luke had shown her with an actual sword. Apparently, some random cult was coming to Camp Half-Blood to help with something or other. Annabeth hadn't been listening. Unfortunately, they were coming tomorrow morning, and she wanted to make a good impression as one of the leaders of the camp. Pride getting in the way, Annabeth refused to learn anything about sword-fighting from the people who didn't want Percy to die, or any of the training she had received from Percy. Percy. Annabeth could never get far without thinking about the man she once loved. She still couldn't believe that the stupid, lying, horrible excuse for a human would try to raise Erebus. Erebus, of all the primordials! The stupid god was possibly the most powerful and dangerous of all. During the second great prophecy, The Argo ll was able to stay in the air and sea. Shadows and dark corners couldn't be evaded like that. If that wasn't enough, if Erebus wasn't stationed at his spot in the Underworld, death would be reversed. Hades would probably try to slow the process down somehow, but after a month or two, Annabeth calculated that even if Kronos himself tried to stop time down there, or at least slow the reverse of death, it would be impossible. The dead would pour into the living like sprinkling dirt into clear water, zombies, or whatever they would be, infecting and killing the rest of the world in minutes. With Erebus there, he could control those half-dead things, and rule the world, all in a few hours. Stupid Jackson. She thought as she slashed at the dummy again. Stupid, idiotic, good-for-nothing, little-

"Runt."

Annabeth turned to see Clarisse, looking worried. Not Annabeth, Clarisse. But that never happened, Annabeth reflected. Clarisse was never scared, not even when she killed the drakon, so many years ago.

"Yes, Clarisse?"

"The Fallen. They've arrived early. This is bad. Very, very bad."

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Just because some random cult that worships who-knows-what strolls in here, doesn't mean that-"

"Didn't you hear?"

"What?"

"This group took down the Hunters of Artemis. No sweat, according to one of my Hunter-friends. Air-head can take me on pretty well. These guys might muscle me out of this."

Annabeth twitched, but recovered quickly. "Those stupid people probably took on the Hunters while they were sleeping, and attacked them with guns. Perfectly reasonable. Besides, I bet those lousy idiots couldn't take either of us in a decent fight with a sword or spear. You know what I mean?"

Clarisse didn't look reassured, but walked away. "They're on Half-Blood hill right now." She called back. "Check it out. You're probably going to be needed."

Annabeth had already turned back to her dummy, but stopped. Half-Blood hill? Now? Needed?

Dropping the drakon-bone sword, Annabeth followed after Clarisse's shrinking form. Time to show those bandits how to give a _proper _greeting.

To Annabeth's eternal surprise, the Fallen _didn't _have guns. Nor did they look like a bunch of cowardly shrimps. In fact, the Fallen looked as though a bunch of the roughest monsters in the world had suddenly became mortals, and gave themselves cool-looking masks to tell others that. 3 of the Fallen stood in the front, side-by-side.

Annabeth swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. What if they heard her cussing about them two minutes ago? Were they going to turn her into a Demigod-kebab? _Looks aren't everything. _She reminded herself. But looks were definitely _something,_ if those looks showed that the people in front of you could slice you up without a second thought.

Chiron catered to the front of the crowd of campers. "Welcome, warriors! I hope to make sure that you find Camp Half-Blood to the best of standards! If you may, let us introduce ourselves. I am-"

"Chiron, the immortal teacher of heroes. It is an honour to meet you in person." One of the people in front of the rest of the Fallen interrupted. Annabeth recognized that her voice was female, but it was pretty obvious about the gender, as she had long black hair that reached her waist. A mask made of sapphire hid her face. She stood in between the other two men, probably marking her as leader. "And you all must be the members of Camp Half-Blood. I must say, Chiron, you have trained them well. I am Sapphire, second in command." Annabeth noticed a bruise on her throat, one that had nearly faded, but was still there. She couldn't help but wonder how it had gotten there.

Chiron smiled at Sapphire, who gestured to the others standing next to her. "This," She pointed to the hulking man on her left, who wore a hood and a Topaz mask. "Is Topaz. He's not very fond of this camp for personal reasons, so please don't annoy him. Diamond," She nodded her head to the other man, also wearing a hood and mask. "Is the fourth in command, but he is as deadly as anyone else. He can take a little bit of annoyance, but his temper is almost as short as Topaz's."

The big guy on the left seemed to pout, nudging Sapphire gently. Diamond just slapped his forehead.

Annabeth took out the courage to speak. "Where's your leader then?"

Topaz made a grabbing gesture with his fists, but Sapphire held a single hand to his chest. Topaz stopped growling immediately. "Our leader, Opal, has gone on a quest by himself. Erebus isn't the only threat arising, and Opal intends to find help for it."

Jake Mason raised his hand. "Did you just say, Erebus? As in, the big bad guy that is like a portal for death?"

Diamond nodded. The younger campers ran to their cabins, some screaming about evil shadows of doom.

Chiron did his best to quiet the rest of the camp down. Finally managing it, he turned to Sapphire. "Where do you plan on staying?"

A man with a ruby mask stepped forward. "We made our own little cosy haven." He chuckled. "Just in the middle of your forest. Check it." Ruby (Annabeth had guessed that they were all named after their masks) pointed to the area where the campers played Capture the Flag. "Outta your way, of course. Campers waving swords and banners while attacking our sweet little tent/cabin things would be absolutely sucktastic."

Annabeth glared at Ruby. "And how do you know what we do?" She asked, doing her best to make a powerful impression on the Fallen. She tried to stand in front of Ruby, but a girl with a light blue mask made of apatite blocked her way. The two girls stared daggers at each other. Topaz and Sapphire looked at each other, had a mental conversation, and walked away, the rest of the Fallen following their lead. Apatite and Annabeth never stopped glaring, however. Only after the rest of camp had headed to dinner did Annabeth walk away.

* * *

Opal stared at his map as he continued his trek through some jungle. Which jungle, he had no idea. His stupid little map would show all the trails in the world, but Opal hadn't realized when he bought the map that the piece of paper didn't have a single name.

Opal moved his finger over the little line that went through the jungle Opal was in. "You'd hope that trails were this big in reality." He mumbled. "If I ever meet that stupid guy again, I will-" Opal then went into a quiet rant about his ideas of torture, most of them involving the rest of the salesman's map getting destroyed somehow.

A harpy fluttered from behind him, custard-coloured feathers flashing in the light. Without looking up, Opal punched the thing in the beak so hard that it went back into the Harpy's skull, killing it.

"Anyway," He continued, as though he had never just attacked a creature from ancient Greek mythology. "Hydros should be… there." He pointed at a massive mountain on the map. "But, flashing or other means of demigodly transport doesn't work for a two-hundred mile radius. Now, since I have to stay away, from people I have to go through here. Whatever they call these stupid places, I have no idea. That last guy only spoke Mandarin. I don't speak miniature orange." He recounted. Opal found it easier to do something if he recounted what he did to get there. It kept his strength up. Opal suddenly stopped when he saw a small cottage/motel with a sign written in Chinese. _The best hotel in all of Xishuangbanna! _Opal decided to keep walking. It was probably the _only _hotel in- Wait. _Shee-Shwah-Bahn-Nah? _He pronounced, bringing the sounds out slowly. He stared at the map again. "What's Hydros doing in the Himalayas?" Opal asked the animal that had slithered onto the other side of the map. The snake merely bared his fangs and lunged.

**Well, second chappie out of the way! By the way, readers, I just randomly picked the Himalayas. No particular reason.**

**Anyway, the questions!**

**Who are the members of the Fallen?**

**Why is Sapphire the second-in-command?**

**What are the identities of Opal, Diamond and Topaz?**

**Is there a reason Hydros is in the Himalayas? **

**And will Hydros be the only immortal Opal discovers?**

**Tune in next time to find out more!**

**-Seas and Shadows.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi guys! I'm in the middle of an assignment right now, 'doing' my English assignment that is due in ten minutes, but even if I get detention, it'll be worth it. I must help my faithful readers. :D**

**Uh oh. She's coming now. Can't- Click- Minimize- Um, no Miss. No. Yes. No miss. Please don't eat me. I didn't say that. *Points at person next to me* *I get told off for being a bad liar* I guess you're right, I'm a very bad liar, but you still don't have proof. *Person next to me blabs, as well as half the class* No! They're all lying! I'm innocent! I'm… in detention. Damn you. Damn you all. No, I wasn't talking to my amazing FF readers! Don't worry! *Gets chased by evil, heartless, never updating FF readers* AHHH!**

**Disclaimer- I shall never own PJO/HOO. Ever. *Sobs uncontrollably***

**_Recently…_**

_"What's Hydros doing in the Himalayas?" Opal asked the animal that had slithered onto the other side of the map. The snake merely bared his fangs and lunged._

Lou Ellen crept down, peering through the bushes to see if the sign was clear. After making sure there was nothing but a few gossiping nymphs, she gave a thumbs-up to Rachel Elizabeth Dare, also known as the Oracle of Delphi. Rachel kicked Harley, Son of Hephaestus, jolting him from his latest project. "C'mon! You said you wanted to check it out, but you won't be coming if you can't focus. Hurry up!" Lou Ellen hissed. Harley rolled his eyes, shoving the mechanical wonder away "Fine." He mumbled grumpily. "You do realize that I wanted to check out their Wii? I heard two of 'em arguing about it earlier. Something about-" Rachel pointed her blow-dryer at Harley, who gulped. "Shutting up!" The Oracle had three settings on the blow-dryer, which she had adopted after her hairbrush had been stolen by some kind of hairy dwarf. Low, medium, and G-Force Creator. Harley was still trying to figure out how to destroy it.

Lou Ellen smacked the duo on the back of their heads. "Well?"

Harley moaned. "Why did I ever offer to do this?" Rachel kicked him in a spot no man ever wanted to be kicked. The latter did his best not to howl in agony as he clutched his crotch, bending over in pain. When Harley looked up, he realized the girls were already standing. "Can you give me a moment?" He wheezed. Rachel did it again, and Harley heard a very audible _crunch. _"And… There goes my chance of ever having kids." Harley mumbled. Lou Ellen shrugged, and walked ahead to the Fallen's campsite, Rachel following her actions. Harley glared at the evil gender. "I knew I should'a brought Jake…" He groaned, before stumbling after the retreating form of the girls. "Wait up!"

Lou Ellen turned to Harley, putting a hand on her hip. "What now? Or should I ask Nyssa to…" Her voice trailed off, the threat horrifying Harley even more. The colour drained from his face. "Not the hammer. Anything but the hammer. Please!" Rachel gave a thin smile. "I hope you learnt your lesson: Never hurt girls again." Harley frowned. "What?" Then he stared at the camp the trio was sneaking up on. "Whoa."

Tents the size of Harley's cabin dotted the campsite, all of them built like cubes. Harley's mechanical eye could tell that these were extremely durable and sturdy, taking an elephant or two to knock down each. All were pitch black, and a single tent stood in the centre, bigger than any of the others.

Foxes and bald eagles dotted the campsite, moving around free, and a campfire pit was set in front of the command tent. (At least Harley _thought _the bigger tent was the command centre. He had trouble working it out.) Lou Ellen and Rachel looked just as amazed by it as Harley, who had even forgotten about the severe pains that lived down below. Suddenly, Harley heard a noise coming from a tent far to his right. Making sure the girls wouldn't notice him, the boy that had been named after a motorcycle dashed away, quite possibly saving his life.

Rachel walked towards the Command tent, but Lou Ellen stopped her. "What if they see us! We only came here to-"

"Yes?"

A man with a yellow mask- Quartz- had dropped from the tree behind them. Pointing a lightweight spear at Rachel's throat, he glared at Lou Ellen. "Well? Why did you come here? In a vain attempt of stealth, as well? Speak up, and tell the truth. Otherwise, the redhead dies."

"Lapis, Nuumite, Sunstone! Can I borrow all of you for a moment?" Topaz called to the three hulking figures. Once they had settled in front of him, he asked them a question. "Nuumite, Lapis, I just got word about a spy in the western half of the camp. Could the two of you, ah, scare the intruder up a bit? No physical harm, of course. Maybe do one of your spars again, one with a lot of action. That'll rile them up. Sunstone, follow me." Nuumite grinned, flipping his triple-sided axe, and winked at Lapis, who gulped nervously, but reached for his club. The two headed off in the direction of the command tent, exchanging ideas. Sunstone pouted his lips as he wondered why Topaz would want him for something. Sunstone felt as though he was usually one of the more useless ones in the Fallen, so being asked for something by a personal friend of Opal… What on Earth would-

"I need to ask you for advice with something." Topaz asked Sunstone once they reached Topaz's tent. Sunstone was now beyond confused. The only things Sunstone was good at were combat, wildlife, and Amethyst… Oh.

The usually silent man scratched his back nervously. "You see, for a long time now, I've had a massive crush, and I need to ask you… Sapphire… I think she's been waiting for me to make the first move, and, you know…"

Sunstone gave a small chuckle. "Don't worry bud, Doctor Sunstone's in the house!" Topaz's shoulders sagged in relief. "Thanks, man… So…"

Sunstone fiddled with his mask. "Well, What girls like best is when you stay yourself. Just do your best to act cool and calm, and just ask her. Girls, well, they're usually not impressed if you try to be all different and stuff, and your trying to be all fancy and amazing and everything. Save the romantic side for when you're actually on the date, if you get what I mean."

Topaz nodded, looking like he understood everything. "I don't get it."

Sunstone sighed. "Okay, here's what I'm saying for dummies like you." He joked. "STAY CALM WHEN YOU'RE ASKING HER OUT, 'KAY MAN?" He shouted. Topaz flinched. "No! Everyone's gonna hear you and now- great. Just great. How am I supposed to do this if half the Fallen are gonna be asking me so many questions about this… Never mind. Thanks for trying. I don't get how you always say you're awkward around people, Animal boy. See ya."

Topaz gave a small wave, and Frank Zhang walked out of the tent, feeling better than he did when he went in.

Opal kicked the twelfth tree that was in his way. "Stupid little buggers." He grumbled. "Stupid trees are always getting in the stupid way. We walk around them, but noo, they just refuse to walk around us, do they!?" He shouted drunkenly. Opal staggered past the plant, cursing everything that crossed him angrily. After somehow walking into the same tree yet again, (He had a lot of trouble figuring out which way he was going) Opal attempted to swat at the mosquito that had tried to attack his snake-bite, and tripped over a root in the process.

The snake venom would have killed any normal mortal, but Opal was special. His immune system was weak compared to what it used to be, yes, but it was still strong enough to kill the worst of the toxins. However, his cells had gone into a kind of happy mode when it happened, an unfortunate side effect. When the body expected itself to already be dead/large limbs missing, the molecules seemed to almost have a party, like _Yay, we haven't been brutally killed in an antagonizing way yet!_ Thus releasing several happy shot-reactions that chain reacted throughout the body, slowing the limbs down, addling the head slightly, and confusing the eyes. So, in other words, instead of dying, Opal became drunk. You heard me.

"The trees are getting mad at me…" Opal mumbled. Cue another fit of random laughter. Using the tree as a handhold to get up, Opal seemed to realize how hungry he was. Stumbling away from the tree, Opal looked around, trying to find any animals he could eat. The man, in his drunken state, had forgotten that he had packed enough food to feed an army.

Opal's eyes were unfocused. His vision was rapidly blurring, and his hunger was increasing. Slowly, the drunken man faded into unconsciousness, still wondering why he couldn't see any more of the jungle.

Diamond felt a small pain in his stomach as he tore through the dummies that lettered Camp Half-Blood's arena. "Stupid stitch." He muttered, slicing a straw dummy in half, executing a perfect overhead sweep. "Stupid camp." Slice. Another dummy lay on the ground, separated into four different pieces from a cross slash. "Stupid life." Another dummy stood where it was for a second, but slowly toppled backwards, its knees torn from the dummy's body.

Diamond stood there for a second, panting, as he surveyed the damage he had done. Seeming to think it wasn't enough, he hefted his sword, and stabbed another dummy through the chest.

"I think you've hurt the dummies enough."

Diamond jumped. He hadn't expected anyone to watch him train. All the campers were scared of him, and Diamond was perfectly fine with that. Little, annoying, lying, betraying stupid-

"Well?" Diamond realized his mind had been wandering. "Sorry." He mumbled, not looking at the person who had spoken.

"Are you at least going to look at me, dummy?" Diamond's eyes widened in seconds. There was only one person who called him dummy, and that was-

"Moonstone! C'mere, I haven't seen you since we bashed up Artemis!" The intruder was suddenly wrapped up in a bear hug, barely managing to wave her arms. Diamond eventually got the message, and set Moonstone down. Said girl glared at him. "What do I always tell you, Diamond? Don't do that to me!" Diamond rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but still-"

"I could forget to tell you something!"

"Yeah, but you never do!"

"Actually, I was going to show you something, but I forgot, thanks to…"

"Me! And proud!"

"Ugh… You're such a dummy."

"Mmm-hmm… But I'm your dummy." Diamond snuggled up against Moonstone, who groaned. "C'mon, we might as well get to your tent if you keep kissing me. There's campers and stuff everywhere, and I hate blackmail." Diamond nodded sleepily- Whenever Moonstone was around, he went from 'Bad, nasty, bulked up guy with anger issues' to 'Worthy to become a teddy bear'. Not the best description, but Diamond had trouble thinking. Moonstone suddenly grabbed his ear, spun on her heel, and headed towards the Fallen's campsite, Diamond protesting loudly.

Neither of the couple noticed a pair of footprints imprinted onto the ground next to them.

And neither of the duo noticed how more of the footprints appeared, following the couple to their campsite. Eventually, the footprints turned to the beach. Annabeth Chase needed to find someone.

**Sorry for the short chappie and the long update everyone, but I've been sick, at P/T interviews, at school, or working. I only managed to do this in my not-so-free time. **

**Aww, I'm about to start making more couples! (Cue fangirl squeal) Wait… I'm a boy! Stupid bracket adder machine. (Well, you did install me.) Shut up! (Why?) Because I made you! (And?) Er… (Exactly my point.) That doesn't prove anything! (You really need to relax.) Well… (Have you ever considered suicide?) SHUT UP ALREADY! (Hmph. Party pooper.)**

**So, we have the identity of Sunstone, AKA Frank Zhang! Which means that Amethyst is probably Hazel Levesque! I think we can all guess who Onyx and Ruby are. LOL!**

**ALERT- Prophecy needed! Please PM me for details.**

**ALERT- Cover picture needed! Please PM me for details.**

**ALERT- Please read 'The Strength of a demigod' PLEASE! I only get 1-2 reviews per chapter!**

**People who offer to do these tasks (Not including the last one) will receive spoilers!**

**Anyway, time for more mystery!**

**Who is Annabeth looking for?**

**Where is Opal?**

**What is Erebus planning?**

**What are the identities of Opal, Topaz, Sapphire and Diamond, our four main protagonists?**

**Tune in next time for more!**

**-Seas and Shadows**

**PS- PLAY COOKIE CLICKER! IT IS SUPA ADDICTIVE!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hellooooooooo, everyone who wants to kill me! Sorry for the long update, but I have a list of excuses!**

**My brother in heart surgery… No?**

**Aright… I've had loads of laptop issues… Doesn't work?**

**Okay… Thanks to those issues, I failed Maths, losing more time… Man, you're so stubborn.**

**(No. You're just idiotic.)**

**You again?! I thought I got rid of you!**

**(I AM IMMORTAL!)**

**I hate you.**

**(Love you too.)**

**Anyway… Camp, scouts, hospital trips, sleepovers and a zillion other things are in the list.**

**(That's impossible.)**

**Wrong.**

**(No, I mean that it is physically impossible to do a zillion other activities, because even if they all took a millisecond, it wouldn't reach a zillion different activities. Plus, you're too lazy.)**

**Why did I ever invent you…?**

**(Because you love me.)**

**Does anyone have some dynamite? I need dynamite.**

**(Shoot. I just used my last stick on your bedroom.)**

**NOOO!**

**(Take that. Point one goes to the amazing bracket adder machine.)**

**Disclaimer- I don't wanna say it! I don't wanna!**

**Rick: Say it!**

**Never!**

**Rick: *Pulls out Riptide***

**How did you even do that…?**

**Rick: I invented PJO, didn't I? *Swings at me***

**Yes! I'm mortal… wait, no, I'm a demigod!**

***I die***

**Rick: This proves that I own HOO and PJO.**

**I also give full credit of the prophecy to Spark of the forgotten. THANK YOU SO MUCH! Also, thanks, Miseryblues and Hades4Life, for also offering to do the prophecy. I AM IN YOUR DEBT! ALL OF YOU!**

**Begin!**

**_Recently…_**

_Neither of the couple noticed a pair of footprints imprinted onto the ground next to them. _

_And neither of the duo noticed how more of the footprints appeared, following the couple to their campsite. Eventually, the footprints turned to the beach. Annabeth Chase needed to find someone._

* * *

Flint Sparksun stared at the receding waves, feeling an intense feeling of joy. Sure, he was a demigod. Sure, the world was ending. Sure, tomorrow he might never look at the waves again.

But that was the whole point, Flint decided. Living life to the best extents before you die. What was the point of looking at your past life when you're with the judges, seeing you doing nothing but work all your life? Wouldn't you rather see yourself do something fun, like climb a mountain, or going to new countries?

The son of Apollo shook himself out of his stupor, and picked up his freshly waxed surfboard. Might as well catch a few waves before curfew. He thought.

Then his girlfriend tapped him on the shoulder, and he fell face-first into the sand.

"What in the name of-" then sand filled his mouth.

Once Flint had managed to get the taste of dirt out of his mouth, he looked around. No-one in sight.

"I know you're there." The demigod slowly hefted his surfboard, while actually checking for footprints. There. Two metres in front.

Flint grinned. Picking up his surfboard, he turned around. "Strange." He said loudly, staging an act. "I guess I tripped." Flint took a step away from the surf. Then the son of the sun swung his board, knocking Annabeth's back. Her hat fell off her head, revealing the intruder.

"Found ya!" Annabeth pouted, shaking the sand of her invisibility cap. "Good job, Hothead."

"Bookbrain."

Annabeth rolled her eyes, giving Flint a small peck on the cheek. Ever since she came to him, crying, saying that Percy Jackson had cheated on her, Flint had welcomed her with open arms, and comforted the daughter of Athena. Four years later, they were dating, he was now the cabin leader, and life was good.

Percy Jackson.

Flint gritted his teeth from just thinking of him. How could anyone cheat on such an amazing person? Annabeth was everything a guy could want- Nice, funny, beautiful, smart, talented, a good fighter… Who would have Percy cheated with to beat that? Aphrodite herself? Nah.

Then he had discovered that the son of Poseidon was a backstabber, working to bring back Erebus. At least, that's what Annabeth told him. He had just came back from a quest for Demeter, but no-one would tell him the full story, besides Annabeth.

Honestly? Erebus, out of all the gloomy gods? Flint hoped he could punch Percy Jackson in the face.

"…Flint? Flint! Put the surfboard back, I have to talk to you!" Annabeth was near the Big House, a good two hundred metres away. How did she get so far? "Coming!" He yelled back. Then he stared at his eleven foot longboard. Damnit. He had just dragged it here…

Oh well. The three kings had gone to Bethlehem to see Jesus.

_The cabins are further… _His pessimistic side complained.

No it isn't… He chided.

_I'm hungry… We missed dinner… _His stomach moaned.

Shut up, me. Flint hissed back.

_We're already exhausted… _His legs grumbled.

No, we're not! Wait- I'm talking to myself... Flint realized.

_And?! You ARE crazy. _His mind fired back.

My whole body's out to get me! Flint thought.

The counsellor tried to think happy thoughts- Big waves, Campfire songs, Annabeth…

Then he remembered how nervous she seemed at the Big House. As if something was happening.

"My legs are gonna be pretty damn angry by the end of this..." Flint muttered.

He began to drag his surfboard to the Apollo cabin.

* * *

People think that all things must die.

They are wrong.

Puny beings, such as gods, giants, Titans… They will die. They fade away, just like the pathetic beings that they give the term 'Monsters', or 'Demigods'. Monsters. Another pathetic thing.

A monster means something that is a living form of your worst fears, evil and corrupted.

I am a _true _monster.

I am _truly _immortal.

Gods and Titans will die, and be reborn, in a weak attempt to live.

Mortals go for rebirth, or live in the Underworld.

I remain in my state. I do not die.

Everything fears me. Nothing is close to my level of power. Nothing is as powerful as I.

For I, unlike my siblings, am impossible to kill.

Gaia can be destroyed, as she can be felt.

Tartarus can be ripped apart, as he has a physical body.

Pontus can be obliterated, as his domain can be touched.

I am invincible. You cannot fight the shadows that stalk you until your dying day.

But they can fight you.

For the might of Erebus is undefeatable, untouchable…

Unstoppable.

And to make myself stronger… I will need a body.

A god? A Titan? No. Those corpses are too noticeable, and they would still have a conciousness. I need something strong, yet weak…

Not mortals. They will combust the moment I truly awaken. So will a demigod.

I need something higher than that… One that has been blessed by something at my level…

_One of the Fallen. Yes._

* * *

Lou Ellen decided that she had passed the 'Freak out' boundaries a while back.

When you get caught sneaking, your heart seems to stop for a second, and you feel jittery for hours. With your mortal parent, at least.

Being caught by a Fallen member nearly killed her.

Quartz definitely knew how to scare a girl.

They were now being held in one of the block/tent/things, in front of a sparring session between two giants. The Imperial Golden spear never left Rachel's throat as Lou Ellen told Quartz everything- Why they came, who came with them, what did they see…

"You do realize that you could have just waited until Ruby gave the tour. He's doing it in an hour."

Lou Ellen could feel her cheeks growing hot. "Umm… Y-yes sir."

"Don't call me sir."

"…Okay?" Lou Ellen guessed that she could now fry eggs on her face. She was sure they were on fire by now."

"Uh, 'scuse me? This spear is really hurting." Rachel gestured to the weapon. "Maybe you could loosen it, or-"

"I'll only let you go when Chiron arrives, and confirms that you're both campers."

"But-"

Quartz glowered at Rachel, effectively shutting her up. "Eep!"

Lou Ellen turned to the spar in front of the tent. Even though they were massive, both men seemed to move with a grace that almost none of the campers could manage. One held a polished club, swinging it wildly, but the daughter of Hecate could tell there was a method to his madness. The giant would sweep for the most available spots, relying on brute force to destroy any defence, like a sword or shield.

The other opponent, however, seemed a million times more dangerous.

Swinging a massive three-headed axe, the giant literally tore through almost anything, barely being countered by the blue-masked man's- Lapis- club.

Lou Ellen decided that she wouldn't watch them anymore. If they were only sparring…

The girl turned to Quartz, and realized that he too was mesmerized by the fight. "Even… Perfectly matched…"

And true enough, Lapis managed to thrust his club into the other man's stomach, throwing him a good ten feet away.

Applause was heard next to the tent, and the form of Chiron appeared. "…Yes, wonderful sparring match, children. Do you think you could show some of the campers your techniques…? Thank you. Now, if you may, I have to deal with a few troublemakers…" The centaur turned to the prisoners, and a series of emotions flickered across the teacher's face. Shock, curiosity, anger, betrayal, and far many others. Sadly, Lou Ellen didn't have ADHD. She had no idea why Chiron's expression flicked to worry as he looked past her.

Until green mist swirled around the daughter of Hecate.

_Betrayed and traitors obtain Hell's sword,  
An hourly limit for death restored,  
For shadows not slain before New Moon,  
The world will succumb to eternal doom._

Rachel collapsed abruptly, her glowing green eyes fading. The mist vanished as quickly as it came.

Quartz withdrew his spear shakily. "Grim prophecy."

Chiron shook his head. "We haven't had anything since Percy was thrown to Tartarus. How on Earth…?"

Lou Ellen shook the fear out of her head. "First things first, we need to make a quest. And try to decipher the prophecy."

Quartz nodded. "I'm guessing we should take seven demigods. You know, with the last great prophecy and all… This sounds bad. An hour? New moon is in five days."

Chiron stomped a hoof. "Hell's sword… It reminds me of before the Second Titan war. Percy, Nico and Thalia, the children of the Big Three, went to retrieve The Sword of Hades. This very well could be… I must look into it."

Quartz casually turned to the mentor. "We mustn't jump to conclusions about this. Remember, Curiosity didn't kill the cat. Stupidity did, and Curiosity was framed."

Lou Ellen frowned. "You just ruined a perfectly good saying."

"I'll gather a meeting." Chiron said. "Both of you, come to the Big House later on. I must alert the others."

As Quartz hefted he unconscious body of Rachel over his shoulder, Lou Ellen saw a glimpse of his eyes- Electric blue, identical to Jason's and Thalia's. But both of those campers were still in their respective camps. Another son of the Big Three? But how? They were all supposed to be honoured! Except for children of Hades… Lou Ellen hated Nico di Angelo.

But how important were the others, if a son of the head god was only a minor member?

What else was the Fallen hiding?

* * *

Opal woke up in an old wooden hut.

Shaking his head to remove the drowsiness, he quickly scanned the small house- Wall, wall, dirt floor, door, table, wall, straw bed, wall. Boring.

Opal thought back to when he was in that creepy Chinese jungle- or was it a forest? He had trouble remembering.

Why was he here? Opal swung his feet to the side of the bed, standing up in a single fluid motion. Staying in this stupid hut would be about as exciting as watching toenails grow.

For a moment, Opal stumbled, and he silently cursed his bad luck. But then he was upright again, and managed to make it to the door without any trouble.

Opal faintly realized that he was wearing new clothes, and his pack was gone, but Opal didn't care. He didn't want to be in the hut any longer. Stupid tiny space. The door creaked slowly, despite the amount of force Opal used in the simple push. It moved by a decimetre or so. Opal cursed again, and slammed his body weight into the door.

After a few million years of waiting, the door's hinges crumbled, and the item fell forward. Opal gave a small sigh of relief as he stepped outside.

No rainforest for a few miles. Good. Or bad. It didn't matter to the leader.

He was more concerned about the mortal in front of him.

He stood around five foot four, blond hair, mirrored sunglasses, rather fit. A backpack- _Opal's _backpack- Rested on one shoulder, and the man held a phone and a set of car keys loosely in the opposite arm. His mouth was hanging open, most likely from shock.

Opal squeezed his eyes shut. He realized that his mask was missing, and panicked.

Oh gods. Please no. Not the mask.

The mortal in front of him cocked his head to one side, and said something in another language. Opal said nothing in return.

My mask. Where'd it go?

The mortal said something again, and Opal recognised the sentence from another encounter.

_Do you speak Mandarin?_

Opal saw red for a second. "Is that all anyone speaks around here? I mean, c'mon, all I'm looking for is my mask, but _noo, _you have to speak orange! Why can't you guys speak something like tomato, or zucchini? At least I understand something that doesn't exist! In fact-"

Then Opal noticed the Ferrari behind the man. The mortal said something again in orange, waving his arms around to emphasize some unknown point. Opal didn't care. He had two conclusions about the car, one being that this wasn't the mortal's house, or two- Monster. Most likely monster.

Shrugging, Opal waltzed past the man, ripping the keys and backpack away. The man started at him, and Opal quickened his pace.

Two steps. The blond was dialling something in his phone, looking furious. He yelled out a string of Mandarin swear words at the thief.

One step. The man lunged, and Opal hopped into the Ferrari, not caring about his missing mask, and immediately allowed the Ferrari to go as fast as it would allow.

The leader grinned.

_This might be easier than I thought._

* * *

The blond man checked his phone. Finally, the person on the opposite end picked up.

"Who the hell are ya?"

"One of our most trusted killers." The man's voice was different now, like a dozen people hissing at once.

"How can I be sure?"

"Who else has this number?"

There was a short silence, followed by a snuffling sound. The receiver finally gave in. "Got it. What happened?"

"I've found him. The leader. Just as the master assigned. I have the mask to prove it."

"What the-" A set of swear words.

"Well?" The caller asked. "Do I go after him?"

A short silence. "Yes. Kill him. Slowly, painfully, quick, don't matter. Erebus has a million drachma reward on his head, and we need to make sure we get it."

"He's… Powerful. The snake we sent… The venom can cripple gods. He was almost unaffected. I need backup. Now."

"Understood. Expect… what exactly do you need? What level?"

"Ten. Target- Speed and Airial."

"Wow. He's… Good. Crew of thirty Ipotane, accompanied by griffins. Expect them by noon."

"I need more."

"Um… Got it. Sending over the Caucasian Eagle."

"Perfect."

The man's disguise melted away, revealing something that vaguely resembled a Fury.

"You may have banished me forever from my brethren, but I am still quite capable of killing, Opal. You cannot run forever. And…"

He opened a clawed fist, and a single flame- Pure white- sparked in the centre.

"We shall see what the last of the cursed _aurai _can do."

**I am… So… Sorry.**

**This update took forever, since I had zero time, and a 10 day hike in between the writing of this story. Ow. Ow. Ow. I have eleven bites on my right hand. Only two are mosquito.**

**(Hey, why's that bite all blue/purple?) **

**For once, a decent question.**

**(Hey!)**

**It was a bug the size of my face. It hurt. A lot. Ow. Typing hurts.**

**(So stop typing… Idiot.)**

**REVIEW!**

**And HAPPY NEW YEAR!**

**-Seas and Shadows**


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